0:00:02 > 0:00:06For 11 years, you have brought us thousands of items to value
0:00:06 > 0:00:10and often they're only worth a few pounds, but every now and then,
0:00:10 > 0:00:15we hit the big time with items worth tens of thousands of pounds.
0:00:17 > 0:00:19£44,000.
0:00:19 > 0:00:26You might have something at home worth a great deal of money, but how do you know it if you see it?
0:00:26 > 0:00:29Well, that's where we come in.
0:00:30 > 0:00:32Welcome to Flog It Trade Secrets.
0:01:02 > 0:01:04Today, we're in for a tasty treat
0:01:04 > 0:01:08as we revel in the decadence of the luxuries from the past.
0:01:08 > 0:01:11And we'll be getting a flavour of what's out there
0:01:11 > 0:01:15to whet our appetites for stylish food-and-drink-related items.
0:01:16 > 0:01:20But which of these collectibles has held their value today?
0:01:20 > 0:01:22It's a show jam-packed with surprises,
0:01:22 > 0:01:24and we'll be lifting the lid
0:01:24 > 0:01:26on which of life's little luxuries
0:01:26 > 0:01:28sell like hot cakes.
0:01:28 > 0:01:30- 75, 85.- Wow, this is amazing.
0:01:30 > 0:01:33And which leave the crowd cold.
0:01:33 > 0:01:37No, I'm sorry, ladies and gentlemen. That lot is unsold.
0:01:40 > 0:01:45For the rich, dining was a great opportunity to display their wealth and the luxuries of life -
0:01:45 > 0:01:49fine crystal glass, beautiful porcelain and silverware.
0:01:49 > 0:01:52The simple act of eating was anything but.
0:01:52 > 0:01:57Until recently, most families used their best china and silver for special occasions,
0:01:57 > 0:02:01but nowadays, most of it is stashed away in cupboards, gathering dust,
0:02:01 > 0:02:04and it turns up frequently at our valuation days.
0:02:04 > 0:02:10And today, there is a very healthy collectors' market for anything related to food and drink.
0:02:10 > 0:02:16So here are some of our best Flog It finds from over the years and what we've learned from them,
0:02:16 > 0:02:21starting with a man who knows a thing or two about wining and dining.
0:02:21 > 0:02:24Champagne has always been the luxury drink.
0:02:24 > 0:02:26It has a certain mystique to it.
0:02:26 > 0:02:30If you have a party and you can afford it, what do you go for?
0:02:30 > 0:02:32You go for champagne.
0:02:32 > 0:02:35You can make red wine anywhere in the world.
0:02:37 > 0:02:40Champagne has to come from Champagne.
0:02:43 > 0:02:45# Champagne Charlie is my name
0:02:45 > 0:02:48# Champagne drinking is my aim... #
0:02:48 > 0:02:50'I love champagne.'
0:02:50 > 0:02:53Champagne is my wife's favourite tipple as well.
0:02:53 > 0:02:57- Alex and Terry, you've brought a bottle of champagne along.- Yes.
0:02:57 > 0:03:01- In the hope that it might be worth something?- Hopefully.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04- You haven't thought of drinking it? - No, it's too old.
0:03:04 > 0:03:09Collectors of wine invariably don't buy the wine to drink it.
0:03:09 > 0:03:13They buy it because it's rare and it's interesting.
0:03:13 > 0:03:15And I was fascinated by it.
0:03:15 > 0:03:20And the reason I'm interested in it is the year - 1943.
0:03:20 > 0:03:25- So how did you get it?- It was found in the bottom of my mum's larder.
0:03:25 > 0:03:28- It had been there for donkey's years.- Yeah.
0:03:28 > 0:03:33Pol Roger, one of the great, great champagne houses in Epernay,
0:03:33 > 0:03:39which is east of Paris, which is where all the champagne comes from.
0:03:39 > 0:03:44I do like a little tipple now and again. Not to excess, you understand.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47So seeing a bottle with age is unusual.
0:03:48 > 0:03:50This is 1943.
0:03:50 > 0:03:53What was going on in 1943?
0:03:53 > 0:03:57- Not much champagne-making.- No.- No.
0:03:57 > 0:04:01There was very, very little produced during the war.
0:04:01 > 0:04:08What was produced, the Germans drank a lot of and ransacked.
0:04:08 > 0:04:10It's rare in its year.
0:04:10 > 0:04:14A lot of the French makers, when the Germans were occupying,
0:04:14 > 0:04:19steamed labels off, great labels and great clarets, and stuck other ones on,
0:04:19 > 0:04:25so when the Germans pilfered these things, they thought they were getting a really nice 1930s Margaux
0:04:25 > 0:04:29and they were getting something that had been made five minutes before.
0:04:29 > 0:04:34They probably didn't notice when they got home. They just liked drinking.
0:04:35 > 0:04:39It's worth, I would think, certainly £40 to £60.
0:04:39 > 0:04:42- Mm-hm.- Right. - And somebody will buy it
0:04:42 > 0:04:44because of the interest of the war,
0:04:44 > 0:04:47coupled with the lack of production and the name.
0:04:47 > 0:04:49- So can we put it in the sale?- Yes.
0:04:49 > 0:04:52- It's not doing any good where it was.- No, it isn't.
0:04:52 > 0:04:56- It's going under the hammer. Good luck.- Roger & Co, 1943.
0:04:56 > 0:04:58A bottle of French champagne. There it is.
0:04:58 > 0:05:01Where will I start for this one? £40?
0:05:01 > 0:05:03£20?
0:05:04 > 0:05:07£10? 10, thank you.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10£12. 15. 17. 17.
0:05:10 > 0:05:1220. 22.
0:05:12 > 0:05:1525. 27. 30 with me. 32.
0:05:15 > 0:05:175. 7. 37.
0:05:17 > 0:05:1940? At £40, standing at the back.
0:05:19 > 0:05:22- 42 I see, thank you. 45. - This is good.
0:05:22 > 0:05:2547. 50.
0:05:25 > 0:05:2855. 60.
0:05:28 > 0:05:3065. 70.
0:05:30 > 0:05:32- This is interesting.- Keep going.
0:05:32 > 0:05:38In the doorway, it's yours at 70. At £70, I'm going to sell it. At £70...
0:05:38 > 0:05:40- Yes, £70.- That's good.
0:05:40 > 0:05:42- Super-duper!- Thank you very much.
0:05:42 > 0:05:44As it turned out,
0:05:44 > 0:05:47that bottle of wine was a little more than a wartime curio.
0:05:47 > 0:05:51Pol Roger 1943 is a classic vintage
0:05:51 > 0:05:55worth between £150 and £200,
0:05:55 > 0:05:58so at £70, someone got a real bargain.
0:06:00 > 0:06:03So if you think you've got some bottles worth selling
0:06:03 > 0:06:06or you want to start an indulgent collection,
0:06:06 > 0:06:08Charlie has some tips for you.
0:06:08 > 0:06:12Collectors of wine really want full cases,
0:06:12 > 0:06:15rather than the odd individual bottle.
0:06:15 > 0:06:20The great clarets need to have a history behind them.
0:06:20 > 0:06:26They need to have been in a cellar at the right temperature, unopened.
0:06:26 > 0:06:29Provenance is all-important with good wine,
0:06:29 > 0:06:33So, as is always the case, look for history, story and condition
0:06:33 > 0:06:36when investing in wine or champagne.
0:06:38 > 0:06:41Without provenance, it won't be as appealing to the collectors,
0:06:41 > 0:06:43as we discovered in Colchester
0:06:43 > 0:06:48with this bottle, with a label from the 1920s, which didn't sell.
0:06:48 > 0:06:51No, I'm sorry, ladies and gentlemen. That lot is unsold.
0:06:51 > 0:06:55That bottle was in fact a rare white wine from the late 1800s,
0:06:55 > 0:07:00worth at least £2,000 today.
0:07:00 > 0:07:02It may have done better in a specialist auction
0:07:02 > 0:07:06and that is where you should take wine which you think may be valuable.
0:07:07 > 0:07:10But more importantly, stay away from the corkscrew.
0:07:10 > 0:07:12Talking of corkscrews...
0:07:13 > 0:07:16- Grace, Sophia, both friends, aren't you?- Yeah.
0:07:16 > 0:07:20You've come along to Flog It today. You've brought this rusty old thing.
0:07:20 > 0:07:23I remember a fascinating corkscrew.
0:07:23 > 0:07:25It's unusual when a young girl brings something in.
0:07:25 > 0:07:27What can you tell me about it?
0:07:27 > 0:07:30It was my grandad's.
0:07:30 > 0:07:33My dad said he remembers using it as a child, but other than that...
0:07:33 > 0:07:36it's been in a box for 20 or 30 years.
0:07:36 > 0:07:38If we open this up,
0:07:38 > 0:07:40we've got everything we need to know, actually.
0:07:40 > 0:07:44We've got Wier's Patent, which is 1884,
0:07:44 > 0:07:47and we've got JHS and a B.
0:07:49 > 0:07:51That's J Heeley and Sons.
0:07:51 > 0:07:53I think they were working in Birmingham,
0:07:53 > 0:07:55which is why you've got the B.
0:07:55 > 0:07:58'It was made in Birmingham and I'm a Birmingham lad,'
0:07:58 > 0:08:02but the fact that it enabled me to talk about corkscrew collecting
0:08:02 > 0:08:04was lovely.
0:08:04 > 0:08:07Now, it's what we call a lever action,
0:08:07 > 0:08:11but what's very nice about this is it's a double lever.
0:08:11 > 0:08:15Now, this basically means it's more complicated to make,
0:08:15 > 0:08:17it's more expensive to make,
0:08:17 > 0:08:21but it is not more effective as a corkscrew.
0:08:21 > 0:08:25And they are rarer. What that translates to today is money.
0:08:25 > 0:08:29What would you think something like that was worth?
0:08:29 > 0:08:31I'd have probably said about 50 quid.
0:08:31 > 0:08:33Most of them are worth about £50,
0:08:33 > 0:08:36but there are those few, and this was one example,
0:08:36 > 0:08:39that are worth so much more because of the rarity value.
0:08:39 > 0:08:42Let's put £800 to £1,200 on it.
0:08:42 > 0:08:45Wow!
0:08:45 > 0:08:47So that was a fantastic gift from your grandad.
0:08:47 > 0:08:49Yeah. We only found it last week.
0:08:49 > 0:08:54- We didn't know what it was or where it came from.- You're kidding?- No.
0:08:54 > 0:08:57So, really whose is it in the family then?
0:08:57 > 0:09:01It was my grandad's. I've been helping my grandma clear out
0:09:01 > 0:09:03- his room.- Having a clear-out? - Yeah.
0:09:03 > 0:09:06This is pretty special, isn't it?
0:09:06 > 0:09:10It's helping to put Grace through university.
0:09:10 > 0:09:14There we are. Where do you start me on the corkscrew?
0:09:14 > 0:09:17I'll have to open the bids at 750.
0:09:17 > 0:09:22I'm looking for 760 in the room. 750, 760, 770, 780.
0:09:22 > 0:09:26780, I'm out of the mix. It's in the room at £780.
0:09:26 > 0:09:28Do I see 790 anywhere else?
0:09:28 > 0:09:32At £780. I will sell it at £780.
0:09:32 > 0:09:35- He's going to sell it. - Are you sure and done at £780?
0:09:35 > 0:09:39Just shy of estimate at £780 and selling... Are you sure?
0:09:40 > 0:09:44It's gone at £780. He's used his discretion and got that away.
0:09:44 > 0:09:48- That pays for a lot more things at university.- Yeah, definitely.
0:09:48 > 0:09:53- The money will come in handy. - I'm a student, so every penny counts.
0:09:54 > 0:09:56If you've got something like that
0:09:56 > 0:09:59and you don't value it particularly,
0:09:59 > 0:10:02it's not special to you and it's worth a lot of money,
0:10:02 > 0:10:05and you've got a charge on your purse that you need to pay
0:10:05 > 0:10:07like university fees,
0:10:07 > 0:10:11why not sell it and make life easier for yourself?
0:10:11 > 0:10:15Like so many of our old wining and dining accoutrements,
0:10:15 > 0:10:18the corkscrew hadn't been used in over 20 years
0:10:18 > 0:10:21and was found lying redundant in a box.
0:10:21 > 0:10:26Now it's helping a relative through education and probably making a collector very happy,
0:10:26 > 0:10:30so why not search through your cupboards under the stairs?
0:10:30 > 0:10:34Maybe you've got a rusty old corkscrew that's worth three figures.
0:10:38 > 0:10:42Next, Adam found another item that embodies the luxury of a bygone era.
0:10:43 > 0:10:47These oyster plates may not have a place on today's table,
0:10:47 > 0:10:50but they have a value, as Adam well remembers.
0:10:50 > 0:10:54The majolica oyster plates, I knew you'd bring those ones up.
0:10:54 > 0:10:59They're one of my biggest mis-estimates of my Flog It career.
0:11:00 > 0:11:02Where are the oysters?
0:11:02 > 0:11:07- I forgot to bring them.- I'm getting hungry.- I've ruined your day. Sorry.
0:11:07 > 0:11:10So, clearly, these are majolica oyster plates.
0:11:10 > 0:11:15Can you tell me how long you've had them and where you got them from?
0:11:15 > 0:11:17They're my grandma's. She left them to my mum
0:11:17 > 0:11:19- and they're still my mum's. - Right.
0:11:19 > 0:11:23What attracted me to the plates, firstly, majolica is very popular,
0:11:23 > 0:11:27oysters, well, what a luxury item...
0:11:27 > 0:11:30They're made by the well-known firm George Jones,
0:11:30 > 0:11:34one of the most famous majolica makers around the 1870s, 1880s.
0:11:36 > 0:11:40They are the sort of thing that you could easily walk past
0:11:40 > 0:11:43and disregard, especially because they were damaged.
0:11:43 > 0:11:46- This one, as you can see... - Has been eaten.
0:11:46 > 0:11:49..has some old damage on the bottom.
0:11:49 > 0:11:52It's got a few little chips and nicks here and there.
0:11:52 > 0:11:54Majolica is very prone to damage.
0:11:54 > 0:11:59In terms of majolica, there were only a handful of prominent makers.
0:11:59 > 0:12:01There was Minton's and Holdcroft
0:12:01 > 0:12:06and George Jones was one of the big names of majolica manufacture.
0:12:06 > 0:12:08And there's the G and a J there, you see,
0:12:08 > 0:12:10which is the George Jones mark.
0:12:10 > 0:12:13This is a registration lozenge and we could look in a book
0:12:13 > 0:12:16and it'll tell you exactly when this was produced - the day,
0:12:16 > 0:12:19the month, the year and everything.
0:12:19 > 0:12:21The fact that they were associated with the George Jones factory...
0:12:21 > 0:12:23there was books on George Jones majolica...
0:12:23 > 0:12:27They made other things. They made lots of ordinary ceramics
0:12:27 > 0:12:30that no-one really cared a great deal about.
0:12:30 > 0:12:33It's just the majolica that people want from George Jones.
0:12:33 > 0:12:37- Any idea what they might be worth? - No idea at all.
0:12:37 > 0:12:41- Have you ever shown them to anyone else?- My father died 13 years ago.
0:12:41 > 0:12:46At that time, an antique dealer came to the house and he offered us £30.
0:12:46 > 0:12:50- £30.- We weren't bothered, so we left them back in the cupboard.
0:12:50 > 0:12:52I don't think that was the most generous offer,
0:12:52 > 0:12:56but the maybe the market for majolica has improved a bit.
0:12:56 > 0:13:00- I'd estimate £100 to £150.- Fine. - For the pair.
0:13:00 > 0:13:03Damage is a real important factor,
0:13:03 > 0:13:06as we keep banging on about on the programme,
0:13:06 > 0:13:09so I didn't want to overburden them with a huge estimate.
0:13:09 > 0:13:12That's the biggest turn-off to the potential buyer,
0:13:12 > 0:13:15so hence the low estimate.
0:13:15 > 0:13:19These belong to Rosalyn, George Jones majolica, great name.
0:13:19 > 0:13:23We've got a valuation of £100 to £150 put on by our expert.
0:13:23 > 0:13:25- Very conservative. - It is a bit, isn't it?
0:13:25 > 0:13:28- Very conservative. - Especially for George Jones.
0:13:28 > 0:13:33And a pair. It's not very often you see two of anything of George Jones,
0:13:33 > 0:13:36but I like these, I think the colour's very good.
0:13:36 > 0:13:40And I'm sure you'll find these will double or treble the estimate,
0:13:40 > 0:13:43- your bottom estimate. - Yes.
0:13:43 > 0:13:46- We had a valuation of £100 to £150. - Yeah.
0:13:46 > 0:13:48I had a chat to John, the auctioneer.
0:13:48 > 0:13:52- He thinks they might creep to £300 to £400.- Lovely.
0:13:52 > 0:13:55You want to put it nice and tempting.
0:13:55 > 0:14:00- Hopefully, we'll get another great auction result.- I think we will.
0:14:00 > 0:14:03- This is it.- One of the prize lots of the day, 170.
0:14:03 > 0:14:06- Watch this. - And the commission bids start here
0:14:06 > 0:14:09at £750.
0:14:09 > 0:14:12Oh, yes! That's a "come and buy me", Adam!
0:14:12 > 0:14:14£750 I'm bid.
0:14:14 > 0:14:16780...
0:14:16 > 0:14:17As the auction kicked off,
0:14:17 > 0:14:23I soon realised that I had undercooked my oysters.
0:14:23 > 0:14:25- 800.- Wow!
0:14:25 > 0:14:27And 20. 850.
0:14:29 > 0:14:31At 850... 880.
0:14:31 > 0:14:33- 900.- 900.
0:14:33 > 0:14:35920.
0:14:35 > 0:14:39And they raced on. They kept going and going and going.
0:14:40 > 0:14:42£980.
0:14:42 > 0:14:44All done? Sold.
0:14:44 > 0:14:49£980, how about that, serving up for you right now on those plates?
0:14:49 > 0:14:54- Fantastic.- I guess we missed a nought off that estimate, didn't we?- Wow!
0:14:55 > 0:14:57£980.
0:14:58 > 0:15:00Ouch!
0:15:00 > 0:15:04- That was a "come and buy me".- It was. It was very conservative.- Yes.
0:15:04 > 0:15:07Oysters are meant to be an aphrodisiac,
0:15:07 > 0:15:10but if I came home with £980,
0:15:10 > 0:15:12I think that would be more of an aphrodisiac
0:15:12 > 0:15:15than two broken majolica plates.
0:15:16 > 0:15:20The oyster plates were damaged, but expert Philip Serrell explains why,
0:15:20 > 0:15:24in this case, it didn't put the bidders off.
0:15:24 > 0:15:27You never, ever want to buy really damaged items.
0:15:27 > 0:15:30The only exception to that is when rarity dictates
0:15:30 > 0:15:33that the only way you'll own something
0:15:33 > 0:15:37is by buying something that might have a bit of damage to it.
0:15:37 > 0:15:40So just because an item is cracked, it doesn't mean
0:15:40 > 0:15:42it can't make you cash.
0:15:42 > 0:15:45But if a period piece is in mint condition
0:15:45 > 0:15:48and made of the finest quality, like this cocktail shaker,
0:15:48 > 0:15:51the bidders will pay serious money for it,
0:15:51 > 0:15:53as Charlie Ross found out.
0:15:53 > 0:15:55What a stunning object!
0:15:55 > 0:16:01What an absolutely typical object from the Deco period!
0:16:01 > 0:16:03The shape, the materials from which it's made,
0:16:03 > 0:16:06I think this is a real statement of the period.
0:16:06 > 0:16:09I just looked at it across the room
0:16:09 > 0:16:11and it just screamed "Charleston" at me
0:16:11 > 0:16:17and old-fashioned cigarette holders and ladies in flappers and things.
0:16:17 > 0:16:19It was such a great thing.
0:16:19 > 0:16:24And the reason I really love it is that you twiddle the top round
0:16:24 > 0:16:28and it's got all the recipes for each of the cocktails.
0:16:28 > 0:16:30You've got a choice of about eight recipes.
0:16:30 > 0:16:32That'd keep me going for an evening.
0:16:32 > 0:16:37- That's a sure way to end up on the floor.- Most of which contain gin.
0:16:37 > 0:16:39- There's a strainer there.- Yes.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42You put your cocktails in there with the ice
0:16:42 > 0:16:46and that will drain out lemon pips and a bit of peel and mint
0:16:46 > 0:16:49if it's in there. Here we are, spout.
0:16:49 > 0:16:51It's foolproof, isn't it?
0:16:51 > 0:16:53They don't want to waste any of their cocktails.
0:16:53 > 0:16:56A cocktail was a 1920s, 1930s drink,
0:16:56 > 0:16:59based on gin or vodka or rum,
0:16:59 > 0:17:03or even whisky, vermouth, whatever.
0:17:03 > 0:17:06It was in mint condition.
0:17:06 > 0:17:09Generally speaking, a cocktail shaker is not an item
0:17:09 > 0:17:11of any particular value.
0:17:11 > 0:17:14They're usually silver-plated, sometimes Bakelite.
0:17:14 > 0:17:16So where did you get it from?
0:17:16 > 0:17:18That came from my parents.
0:17:18 > 0:17:22I think it might have been a wedding present. They were married in '36.
0:17:22 > 0:17:26- That's spot-on. - I can't see my father buying one.
0:17:26 > 0:17:29Did you bring it, thinking it will send you to the Bahamas?
0:17:29 > 0:17:31I thought it might buy me a bottle of gin.
0:17:31 > 0:17:35It's going to struggle to make more than £50, I would have thought.
0:17:35 > 0:17:38My guide price would be perhaps 40 to 60.
0:17:38 > 0:17:41It's not going to make £200 or £300 in a month of Sundays.
0:17:41 > 0:17:44By golly, weren't we wrong!
0:17:44 > 0:17:48It's a bit of fun and I'm sure this will do really, really well.
0:17:48 > 0:17:51It's put a smile on everybody's face. We've enjoyed this moment.
0:17:51 > 0:17:53Here it is, it's going under the hammer.
0:17:53 > 0:17:59Lot 529, an early 20th century Art Deco cocktail shaker.
0:17:59 > 0:18:0045 over there.
0:18:00 > 0:18:04At 45. 50. 55. 60. 65.
0:18:04 > 0:18:0670. 75.
0:18:06 > 0:18:07This is amazing.
0:18:07 > 0:18:1090. 95. 100. 110.
0:18:10 > 0:18:12120.
0:18:12 > 0:18:15130. 140. 150.
0:18:15 > 0:18:18- Wow!- 160. Behind you at 160...
0:18:18 > 0:18:22- On the phone, 170... - It's an iconic design, isn't it?
0:18:23 > 0:18:26190. 200.
0:18:26 > 0:18:28210. 220.
0:18:29 > 0:18:33- 230.- We would have been happy with 40 quid, wouldn't we?
0:18:33 > 0:18:35290. 300.
0:18:36 > 0:18:39- 310.- You said 40 to 60!
0:18:39 > 0:18:44- I think they missed a nought off. Didn't we say 400 to 600?- 340...
0:18:44 > 0:18:49- 350.- This is astonishing.- This is madness.- This is a golden moment.
0:18:49 > 0:18:51At 360, I sell in the room...
0:18:51 > 0:18:56At 360. Are you sure you're out on the phone? It's an important piece.
0:18:56 > 0:19:00Someone has designed a whole range of giftware on this.
0:19:00 > 0:19:02At £360...
0:19:04 > 0:19:07- Amazing!- Absolutely incredible.
0:19:07 > 0:19:09Thank you so much.
0:19:09 > 0:19:12And thanks for your advice - 40 to 60 quid!
0:19:12 > 0:19:14LAUGHTER
0:19:14 > 0:19:17A pleasure to be so incompetent!
0:19:17 > 0:19:22Why did it do so well? It looked very good. It was in mint condition.
0:19:22 > 0:19:24I don't think it had ever been used before.
0:19:24 > 0:19:28It had those recipes, some of which I had never heard of,
0:19:28 > 0:19:31but quite fun to experiment, and I'm sure whoever bought it
0:19:31 > 0:19:34would have mixed all those cocktails within a week of buying it!
0:19:36 > 0:19:39While they may not have a use in today's world,
0:19:39 > 0:19:44these luxury items help preserve the memory of a more glamorous age.
0:19:44 > 0:19:48All these items were handed down from past generations,
0:19:48 > 0:19:51family heirlooms that might not look like they're worth much,
0:19:51 > 0:19:54but the key is in the quality.
0:19:54 > 0:19:56If it's a luxury piece, it's likely to be well-made
0:19:56 > 0:19:58and therefore hold its value.
0:20:01 > 0:20:04So have another look at that trinket from the '20s
0:20:04 > 0:20:06your great-aunt left you.
0:20:06 > 0:20:09If it's good quality or rare, it might be worth a bob or two.
0:20:09 > 0:20:12If you're thinking of buying something from this period,
0:20:12 > 0:20:16or in fact anything at all, turn the item upside down.
0:20:16 > 0:20:19Look at it from every single face side.
0:20:19 > 0:20:21Check the construction joints.
0:20:21 > 0:20:25Look at it in detail. Look at it through a magnifying glass.
0:20:25 > 0:20:28If it's too dark in the premises, shine a torch on it.
0:20:32 > 0:20:35Well, if that lot gives you food for thought,
0:20:35 > 0:20:38my next stop in Richmond, North Yorkshire,
0:20:38 > 0:20:40is guaranteed to nourish the soul.
0:20:41 > 0:20:45OK, it looks unassuming on this road right here,
0:20:45 > 0:20:47but it is a Grade 1 listed building
0:20:47 > 0:20:50and it has a very important claim to fame.
0:20:50 > 0:20:53It's the oldest and most complete Georgian playhouse
0:20:53 > 0:20:57in Britain. And that's a fact. All the good stuff is inside,
0:20:57 > 0:21:01so without further ado so let's go in and view the piece de resistance.
0:21:04 > 0:21:07In the early 1700s, there weren't any theatres in Britain,
0:21:07 > 0:21:10as it was illegal to act for money.
0:21:10 > 0:21:13However, plays were performed by travelling companies of actors
0:21:13 > 0:21:16who found ways around the law.
0:21:16 > 0:21:20From the 1760s, Royal Patents were granted to a few provincial theatres
0:21:20 > 0:21:23but the biggest change came in 1788
0:21:23 > 0:21:26with the passing of the Theatre Licensing Act,
0:21:26 > 0:21:29which allowed companies of actors the right to apply for licences
0:21:29 > 0:21:34to put on plays for 60 days at a time.
0:21:35 > 0:21:39And it was shortly after this that a remarkable Yorkshireman
0:21:39 > 0:21:42called Samuel Butler signed a 21-year lease
0:21:42 > 0:21:47with the Richmond Corporation. On 2nd September, 1788,
0:21:47 > 0:21:52this remarkable, unique little theatre was opened to the public.
0:21:52 > 0:21:55And isn't it just marvellous?
0:21:55 > 0:21:59It really is. It's so tiny. It's fabulous.
0:22:01 > 0:22:05When it first opened, this venue was simply named The Theatre.
0:22:05 > 0:22:08Butler's company of actors played not only here,
0:22:08 > 0:22:09but at seven other theatres
0:22:09 > 0:22:14that the entrepreneurial Butler had established across Yorkshire.
0:22:14 > 0:22:18Sadly, in 1830 the lease on this building was never renewed.
0:22:18 > 0:22:20The theatre and the Butler company parted ways.
0:22:20 > 0:22:23Over the following centuries, a few odd performances
0:22:23 > 0:22:29were played out on this very stage, but it was put to different uses.
0:22:29 > 0:22:33It became a wine vault. During WWII, it was a storage depot
0:22:33 > 0:22:36and, believe it or not, it was even an auction room.
0:22:36 > 0:22:39Thankfully, the core and fabric of this very building
0:22:39 > 0:22:41was never altered greatly.
0:22:41 > 0:22:45That's why it's become so important to theatre historians,
0:22:45 > 0:22:49because it's the best surviving example of a Georgian playhouse
0:22:49 > 0:22:51in Britain.
0:22:51 > 0:22:54The stage itself is typical of the period and is known as
0:22:54 > 0:22:59a proscenium arch, which acts as a window to the action.
0:22:59 > 0:23:03The stage is raked and is a foot higher at the back than the front
0:23:03 > 0:23:07in order to give the audience a better view.
0:23:07 > 0:23:11Today, the Georgian Theatre Royal can seat up to 214 people,
0:23:11 > 0:23:14but back in the Georgian era, 400 eager audience members
0:23:14 > 0:23:16would have squeezed in.
0:23:17 > 0:23:22You can imagine how lots more people were jammed in this small space all together,
0:23:22 > 0:23:25but which were the good seats and which were bad?
0:23:25 > 0:23:30Up here is called the gallery and these are the cheap seats,
0:23:30 > 0:23:32used by the young and dissolute.
0:23:32 > 0:23:37To watch performances here in the Georgian period cost one shilling.
0:23:37 > 0:23:41- KNOCK - Did you hear that? That was me!
0:23:41 > 0:23:45This gallery has a unique Georgian feature - the kicking board.
0:23:45 > 0:23:47That's exactly what you do to it.
0:23:49 > 0:23:51The Georgian patrons would have used this
0:23:51 > 0:23:55to show signs of disapproval if the act wasn't working out properly.
0:23:55 > 0:23:58And I'm told it's still used today,
0:23:58 > 0:24:02but only as a sign of approval to encourage an encore.
0:24:02 > 0:24:06- KICKS BOARD - More, please! More!
0:24:06 > 0:24:08So that's how the Georgians would have watched theatre,
0:24:08 > 0:24:11but I want to see behind the scenes.
0:24:11 > 0:24:15I'm going to tread in the actors' footsteps as I head down underneath
0:24:15 > 0:24:20through the dressing room to the very guts of the theatre.
0:24:20 > 0:24:23I'm underneath the stage right now. There it is above me now.
0:24:23 > 0:24:26This whole area is known as the machine room
0:24:26 > 0:24:29and these are the footlights, or floats,
0:24:29 > 0:24:31as they were called in the Georgian period.
0:24:31 > 0:24:36These candles would have been alight in troughs of water.
0:24:36 > 0:24:39This whole trough would have been winched up here,
0:24:39 > 0:24:44going up to the stage to project light back on to the actors' faces.
0:24:44 > 0:24:47And they were in water because if they fell over,
0:24:47 > 0:24:51it would put the flame out and not catch on fire.
0:24:52 > 0:24:55Perhaps one of the most exciting parts of the theatre
0:24:55 > 0:24:57is operated from right down here.
0:24:57 > 0:25:00That's the trap doors.
0:25:00 > 0:25:04This enables items and actors to spring up out of nowhere
0:25:04 > 0:25:07onto the stage. There were originally three trap doors here,
0:25:07 > 0:25:09but now there's only one.
0:25:09 > 0:25:13This is a reconstruction and, sadly, it doesn't work.
0:25:13 > 0:25:15So I've got to take the long way back up.
0:25:19 > 0:25:22The Georgian Theatre Royal holds such a prestigious place
0:25:22 > 0:25:27in the history of theatre in Britain that many of our finest actors feel
0:25:27 > 0:25:31it's a status symbol to have played here - Timothy West, Judi Dench
0:25:31 > 0:25:35and plenty of other legendary actors have graced the stage here,
0:25:35 > 0:25:40and yours truly is very proud to have visited this fascinating piece
0:25:40 > 0:25:42of theatre history.
0:25:49 > 0:25:52Throughout the series, we've been finding out which item inspired
0:25:52 > 0:25:54our experts' love of antiques.
0:25:54 > 0:25:57Here's the ever-theatrical Charlie Ross.
0:25:57 > 0:26:00A French mirror!
0:26:00 > 0:26:05When I left school and joined the firm of surveyors and auctioneers,
0:26:05 > 0:26:10I started working in Buckingham in the saleroom. I was 19, 20.
0:26:10 > 0:26:15And I immediately fell in love with furniture of all sorts.
0:26:15 > 0:26:19And the mirror you see here was the first piece of furniture
0:26:19 > 0:26:21I ever bought.
0:26:21 > 0:26:24And I bought it as a present for my mum.
0:26:24 > 0:26:28And it was completely knackered when I bought it.
0:26:28 > 0:26:31I can't remember how much.
0:26:31 > 0:26:34Let's say it was £12, £14, something like that.
0:26:34 > 0:26:39And I had it restored, which cost considerably more,
0:26:39 > 0:26:41and I gave it to my dear mother, who was thrilled with it
0:26:41 > 0:26:44and used it throughout her life.
0:26:44 > 0:26:49And subsequently when she died, it was left back to me.
0:26:49 > 0:26:50So it's gone full circle
0:26:50 > 0:26:54and it is, to me, the most precious piece of furniture.
0:26:54 > 0:26:58No, it's not Chippendale, it isn't of huge significance,
0:26:58 > 0:27:02other than sentimental value. It is a nice piece of furniture.
0:27:02 > 0:27:05It's George III, it's mahogany,
0:27:05 > 0:27:08it's serpentine-fronted. You can see it's a swing toilet mirror.
0:27:08 > 0:27:11It has three rather capacious drawers.
0:27:11 > 0:27:14It's a really nice piece of furniture.
0:27:14 > 0:27:16Value today?
0:27:16 > 0:27:21£200 or £300? I dare say in the good old times, the late '70s, '80s,
0:27:21 > 0:27:25it would have been worth probably £400-£600, but I don't care.
0:27:25 > 0:27:27To me it's priceless.
0:27:29 > 0:27:31Brown furniture, as it's called,
0:27:31 > 0:27:34has dropped in value significantly in the last 20 years.
0:27:34 > 0:27:38You can pick up beautiful pieces for a bargain in auction rooms,
0:27:38 > 0:27:42but plan ahead if you're thinking of buying big bits of kit.
0:27:43 > 0:27:46Make sure you have man with van on stand-by
0:27:46 > 0:27:49if you've got something large that needs collecting.
0:27:49 > 0:27:52If you don't collect it within one week of purchase,
0:27:52 > 0:27:57there will be storage charge and insurance and VAT.
0:27:57 > 0:27:59It will cost you a lot more.
0:28:04 > 0:28:07As we know, the market can be a fickle beast,
0:28:07 > 0:28:11but there will always be an appetite for good quality luxury pieces
0:28:11 > 0:28:15related to food and drink. And you never know where those little gems
0:28:15 > 0:28:17may spring from.
0:28:17 > 0:28:19Let's put £800-£1,200 on it.
0:28:19 > 0:28:21Wow.
0:28:22 > 0:28:26So I hope we've given you a little taster of what's out there
0:28:26 > 0:28:29and served up some useful advice.
0:28:30 > 0:28:31Wow!
0:28:31 > 0:28:34Join me again soon for more for more top tips
0:28:34 > 0:28:36from Flog It's Trade Secrets.